1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to farinaceous and amylaceous products. In general, it is directed to improvements in the production of batter and dough products. The invention involves the use of a natural food material as an active agent. More particularly, it involves the incorporation of allium material, preferably dehydrated garlic, as a dough conditioner into standard dough formulations in amounts effective in functioning to reduce the mix-time required to develop a dough. In addition dehydrated garlic increases absorption of water by the flour during dough development, and improves the extensibility of the dough. Upon subsequent processing and baking, the resultant product exhibits organoleptic characteristics generally expected of such products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Flour-base dough products, such as bread, are one of the basic food groups of a good, nutritional, well-balanced diet. The art of bread-making has been practiced for thousands of years. Raised bread and similar bakery products are normally prepared from a dough containing wheat flour, water, leavening agents, such as yeast and yeast nutrients, and additionally shortening, and salt. The dough ingredients are mixed, fermented and kneaded until a viscoelastic dough is developed prior to baking. This basic bakery method, commonly referred to as the "straight-dough" method, was initially used by bakeries to commercially produce bread and rolls.
The industry uses what is referred to as a "no-time" straight-dough system to commercially produce pizza and certain crackers. In such cases, it is prevalent to use reducing agents as dough conditioners. Sodium sulfite and L-cysteine are routinely used at relatively high concentrations to accelerate the development of the dough
Currently in the United States most bread and rolls are produced by the sponge-dough method wherein the fermentation of the sponge is utilized to mellow the gluten to where it can be mixed and fully developed in a reasonable time and yet exhibits acceptable extensibility for purposes of machining volume purposes.
Oxidizing agents are commonly employed in conventional bread and roll production to fix the volume obtained during proofing and baking. Protease enzymes, L-Cysteine and sodium sulfite are typically used to modify the gluten of dough in order to reduce mix-time and increase the extensibility of the dough.
There has been considerable effort devoted to shortening the overall time required for bread preparation and reducing the number and inconvenience of the operating steps in commercial baking procedures. In what is commonly referred to as "continuous-mix" baking operations, the prefermentation step is substantially reduced or eliminated from the "straight" and "sponge-dough" methods. In commercial practice, continuous-mix processes were initially effected using machinery manufactured by Wallace and Tierman Inc., referred to as the Do-Maker Equipment, or by Bakery Machinery Division, American Machine and Foundry Company, referred to as the Amflow Equipment. The next major commercial development was what is known as the Chorleywood Process developed in England. The last of the major commercial, mechanical dough development processes was introduced about 20 years ago to the baking industry by the Bread Research Institute of Australia with their Brimee Mixer.
Since then, most of the effort expended in attempting to improve dough-making have concentrated on methods for chemically developing the dough. One of the first of such chemical modification methods which was put into commercial practice is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,053,666 and involves the use of certain reducing compounds, such as cysteine compounds, glutathione and sodium bisulfite, as activating agents. All of these compounds are sulphur-containing reducing agents. Small amounts of one or more of these agents were found to be effective in accelerating the development of proper dough consistency and to improve the extensibility of the dough. Compounds related or homologous thereto were also found to be effective. In addition, materials such as inactive dry yeast, unheated soy flour, etc., were found to be useful as sources of cysteine and/or glutathione. In combination with such compounds, conventional oxidizing agents, such as potassium bromate, were used as maturing agents. It was found that the combination of such agents was necessary in order to obtain optimum extensibility and gas retention with good loaf volume and grain quality in a process for mixing a dough without a fermentation step.
Since the introduction of the Reddi-Sponge.TM. product, there have been numerous attempts using various chemical compounds to improve dough making. In accordance with the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,805, compositions comprising fumaric acid, salts thereof or an ester of fumaric acid having from five to nine carbon atoms are disclosed as reducing the mixing requirements in the development of bread dough.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,305 relates to an additive composition comprising defined amounts of an ascorbate compound, an edible oxidizing agent and an edible sulfhydryl containing reducing agent for use in yeast-raised dough products.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,805 is directed to improved whey protein concentrates, both water soluble and gluten reactive, which are particularly suitable for use in the bakery industry as dough developers and conditioners.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,671 is also directed to reducing the mixing time in continuous dough-making processes by the use of defined amounts of chemical additives in the form of a combination of an acceptable food grade sulfhydryl-containing reducing agent, anti-oxidant, and oxidizing improver, respectively, preferred to be L-Cysteine hydrochloride, isoascorbic acid and a bromate.
Although each of these processes has been more or less successful in commercial procedures for making bread, there has been a growing aversion to and concern for the use of chemical additives, particularly those containing sodium and sulfites, in processed foods.
Prior attempts to use natural food materials as improving agents for dough products are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,181 which discloses that comminuted non-toxic plants of the Cruciferae, Resedaceae, Capparidaceae, or Tropacolaceae families are useful as a cysteine substitute.
Along this line, U.S. Pat. No. 2,819,168 is directed to incorporating the separated germ or husk of raw, leguminous seeds or an extract of the germ or husk into one or more of the substances employed in carrying out the production of bread.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,479,592, discloses the addition of onions to yeast fermentation during formation of the yeast. It is believed that by doing so the life of the yeast is extended without an excessive growth of bacteria therein. It is disclosed that boiled onions are added to sour dough which is allowed to stand for a time during which spontaneous fermentation will continue in the dough with the onions acting as an agent to retard the activity of the growth of the yeast to thereby form a yeast which will remain active for extended periods of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,433, discloses the addition of small amounts of naturally occurring or synthetic glycolipids to dough formulations containing added protein concentrates from plant or animal sources. This is done to permit the enrichment of baked products with high levels of protein concentrates and thereby improve the baking qualities thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,326, discloses a process for bread making involving the addition of a composition consisting of a mixture of amino acid reducing substances containing free sulfhydryl groups, dried whey, ascorbic acid and dried soya protein to conventional dough ingredients. It is disclosed that materials such as inactive dry yeast, unheated soya flour, or other natural foods may be used as sources of cysteine and/or glutathione.
Related to such concern for the use of natural ingredients in bread-like baked goods, U.S. Pat. No. 2,883,285 discloses a procedure comprising fermenting a mixture of ground cereal, water, plant extract material and flour, which has been subjected to elevated temperatures of 100.degree. C. while being exposed to radiation. Phosphatides, preferably provided by the juice of onions and garlic, may be added to the mixture being fermented, which is thereafter extruded into molds and baked at 160.degree. C. for about four hours to result with a bread-like baked goods product.
Garlic, however, is normally considered to be a food which is often included in dough products, such as bread and the like, as a flavor ingredient. Representative of such use of garlic as flavoring is U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,679, which includes garlic in a pizza dough which is partially baked, and then frozen. The frozen pizza is capable of preparation for consumption in a toaster.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,963, is directed to a pizza, or similar food product, prepared by slicing a baked roll and applying a sealing layer of garlic-flavored margarine to the soft interior surface of the roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,815, relates to a process for making pretzels. It is disclosed that onions can be used to flavor the dough used in making soft pretzels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,863, is directed to a method of making garlic bread in which the garlic flavor is preserved during baking. It is disclosed that a critical step in the preservation of the garlic flavor is to add the garlic at about the time of kneading after all other ingredients have been mixed together and just prior to baking. Another critical factor is that the garlic should be added in a dry form. The disclosed theory of this action is that the flavor of the dry, dehydrated garlic is activated by the moisture or steam created during the baking process so that the development of flavor is complete at the same time that the baking is completed. The bread is disclosed as coming from the oven with full, fresh garlic flavor which is evenly distributed throughout the entire loaf. The term garlic "chips" is defined as including dehydrated, dry garlic flakes and dehydrated, dry minced garlic, but does not include garlic powder or the like. The preferred amount of garlic chips to be added is two tablespoons (1/8 of a cup) which equates to about 1/8 of the volume of starter.
Notwithstanding such use of garlic material as a flavoring material in making various foods including garlic bread, it is not believed that allium material has heretofore been used as a dough additive to reduce the mix-time of dough development and increase the extensibility of the dough, in a manner similar to cysteine, glutathione, protease enzymes, sulfites and other recognized agents for such purposes.